This article presents the development and validation of two new measures of psychological well-being: the Comprehensive Inventory of Thriving (CIT) and the Brief Inventory of Thriving (BIT). These measures were developed to measure a broad range of psychological well-being constructs and represent a holistic view of positive functioning, as well as to predict important health outcomes.
Positive psychological well-being, especially optimism, protects against the incidence, and somewhat against the progression, of cardiovascular disease through a broad array of mechanisms, according to this extensive literature review.
Can a sense of purpose reduce your risk of heart attack? This study shows that greater baseline purpose in life was associated with lower odds of myocardial infarction.
It seems like common sense that being depressed or anxious is not good for a person’s health. But does well-being offer protective effects on cardiovascular health?